Wheel
by Jace999608
Summary: A series of one-shots about ten character's thoughts on a certain topic. I'll go clockwise around the wheel, using the characters on the wheel at tmogf with Stanley as the glasses, since Stanford's on there already, starting with Soos. (No reviews about your theories on the wheel, please, I love to theorize but I'd prefer it in a PM or something similar.)
1. Soos

I wasn't too sure about Stan's great-niece and -nephew at first. I hadn't had a lot of luck with the younger kids in Gravity Falls- then again, when you're the handyman of the town's tourist trap who eagerly discusses the town's mysteries, it's not like a lot of the kids share your interests. They're all more focused on what that rich girl Pacifica is doing or when that dude Gideon's having another performance.

But these two were different. Dipper and I would always have these cool discussions on what's going on. He'd show me a few cryptograms in his book I could help crack with what I knew about codes, and I'd tell him what creatures I thought the other residents could be and he'd check his cool journal for any more proof or anything else they could be. We've had a ton of awesome adventures together, finding proof of monsters, fighting nightmarish creatures... We've even got T-Shirts, dude!

We've had a few fights between us. Sometimes I'd be a bit clumsy and mess something important up...Sometimes he'd be uptight and snap at me...Boy, we both really screwed up when we were the pterodactyl bros, come to think of it.

But everything was worked out in the end, and it all turned out fine.

And Mabel, dude, she's something else. She has such this great outlook on life, she's always so optimistic and friendly with a great big smile on her face! Even when holding an ax wielded by a murder! (Who was that killer, anyway?)

We have a lot of laughs together. We've made up loads of fun games, Spin The Pig, Break Room Tetris, we'll even come up with random challenges for both fun and solving life's mysteries. These two are the Mystery Twins of the town. (Like that? Came up with it myself) They've solved murders and government conspiracies, fought giant psychics and dream demons, chased down dinos and lake monsters, and they've let me join in on a lot of their adventures. I'm real glad they're staying here.

I'm gonna miss these dudes when summer ends.


	2. Wendy

Love is a strange thing. It's around in a lot of people's lives. It takes different forms, it's used meaninglessly sometimes, but we can all still recognize it.

But what is love? It's not something you can just look up in the dictionary. It's not just an emotion or something that's always going to feel the same for everybody.

Love has different meanings and different ways we express it. When my family goes camping together or when we all pitch in to help at Dad's lumberyard and we all enjoy each other's presence, that's love. It's the same kind of love that shows up on a quiet night when Dad takes me out for pancakes "just because", or when we cheer on Dad as he does something ridiculously manly, or when I used to read my brothers books before they went to sleep, until they were old enough to read on their own and wanted to read at their own pace.

But it's definitely much different than my love for my friends. We bond over sodas and Yo-Mama smackdowns rather than pancakes and bedtime stories, and we've had a lot of experiences I wouldn't expect to bring my family on. We go on crazy outings and break rules just for the fun of it. I know I act pretty different around them compared to my family. But we've had struggles and rough times together and helped each other through it all. And I think that even if it isn't the same love, it's a love just as strong.

Then there's that love between a couple. Ah, yes, Miss Grimwood, you were expecting this on every student's paper, weren't you? Guess I just can't help myself.

Nowadays you just see teens breaking up and getting back together while listening to songs about how they'll never do either one. I don't want to be like that. I want a relationship to actually mean something, to actually feel something through it all. If there's not love, what's the point?

I didn't want to get into any relationships with my friends. If something went wrong and we had a bad breakup, it would make everything awkward for all of us and it would be really hard to get our friendship repaired. But at the same time, I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. So when my co-worker asked if I wanted to go to the fair, I said yes. And when Robbie asked if I wanted to go out with him, I said the same thing.

We went out a few times. For a while it was just like what we did with the gang, play some video games at the arcade, go to the fair, normal stuff. A week or so in he started getting more romantic, bringing me flowers, trying to come up with nicknames for me. It was sweet.

But he and Dipper (My co-worker) had a tendency to bump heads a lot. Usually I felt like it was over me. I've heard so many girls say that they want boys to fight over them. For me, it's a nightmare. I am a person, with my own life, my own problems. I am not some prize to be won or some character that's just the romantic interest. I won't be won over by a big show, and I certainly won't be swept off my feet if you hurt someone I appreciate.

I tried dropping hints. I called them "my two guys", said I hate it when boys fight. They didn't listen. Our relationship got pretty shakey. Then one night, my boss, Dipper's great-uncle, drives up to where Robbie took me on a date. Dipper jumps out with a tape of Robbie's song for me and goes on about Robbie "brainwashing" me. Robbie just blew it off, saying he ripped it off some band, and, yeah, he lied about that, he lied a lot. It was horrible. These two stopped being sweet and loving. I was just an item to them, the purple duck-panda at the carnival booth. I had to get away. I know I hurt both of them when they tryed to keep me again, but, sometimes, I need some time on my own to recover.

Dipper left this summer for Piedmont. Robbie's still texting me.

I still have hopes for them. When the time comes, I'll be ready and willing to let them back into my life- Hopefully as friends, first.

Because I still haven't given up on them.

And you know what?

I think that's love, too.

-Wendy Corduroy

Gravity Falls High

9/7/2013


	3. Stanford

You know... In my experience, love is something to be hidden.

Sure, that thing with Susan sounded nice while I was planning it with Mabel, but that date was the single most awkward event I'd been in my whole life. And don't get me started on the calls. Mabel won't let up, either, she's always asking about a second date or teasing a bit, I never hear the end of it.

...Okay. That's not all of it. You know me better than that. Sorry. ...I mean, you know how Pops brought me up. Left me all grown up and ready to take on the world, and I started to realize just how much he really cared. Kids today are getting spoiled rotten by their parents, and I just know they're gonna be left as weak and unprepared adults, all alone.

I never want to see them like that. Dipper, Mabel, Soos, Wendy, I got another generation to raise again and keep safe. No time for that mushy stuff.

Can't have 'em getting too attached to me now, they'd worry too much, grieve too much when I leave. Can't hurt 'em like that.

They're all finding their own ideas on love, too. Soos is just out for enjoying others and trying to enjoy the most of life. I love seeing him with the kids, having a great time. You hear people in town say he's not mature enough, that he's gonna have to change soon or he'll just live with Abuelita the rest of his life, but I know he's just fine where he is.

Mabel thinks love is the answer to anything, that with enough warmth and politeness anybody can be a better person. It warms my heart to see her work at the shack, helping everyone she can with a big, glittery smile. But it crushes me to imagine her taking that out and having it thrown down, the world taking advantage of her and leaving her broken. Can't let that happen. I'm trying to show her, but I don't want to be the one to throw the first stone.

Dipper's main thing with love so far is Wendy. He's okay around her sometimes, but I've lost track of how many times he's just spaced out near her. Caused a few problems in the store. I know he means well, but he's going a little too far with it sometimes. Almost had a fight with a kid over it once, and that turned out even worse once he dragged in some crazy fighter guy from the arcade. It's not just Wendy he cares about, though, his bond with Mabel is incredible. The two balance each other out and stick together like glue, always there for each other. Really takes me back.

Wendy usually acts cool about dating and family and stuff, but she really cares about it. Just one look at her face while she's in the woods with her family or while she's out with her friends will tell you that. Somehow, though, people forget it. Robbie decided it was okay to miss a date with her, then another, and eventually lie to her face. It broke her heart. That's the kind of thing I want to stop.

So, I'm just gonna try to do like Pops and help 'em out without showing what I mean right away. Right now, my first love to all of them is money, maybe scamming a close second or tie. Someday they'll figure out I'm not what I seem, but I'll be gone then, along with everything else I hid. I'm fine with that. Just want them to be where they need to be.


End file.
